810 has this problem (well, not really a problem, but yeah). our school is 10 minutes from SBPLI, and the majority of the team members live less than 20 - 30 minutes away. we got lucky, and friday of competition, our school is off

. so that means, on thursday, the special people get to takea bus from school to the comp., then get a ride home from mom/dad/friend/aunt/uncle/grandparent/etc. friday and saturday it's mostly "get there by 8'oclock, or else..."
i find that staying at a hotel would be completely pointless, as my bed is more comfortable, my shower is better, and my kitchen has any food i would want for breakfast

. plus, i get homecooked meals at home, as opposed to eating out and spending lots of money. in the end, i guess it's up to the team to decide what happens though.